Gorgon Gas Project

The Gorgon gas project is a proposed petroleum project in Western Australia, involving the development of the Greater Gorgon gas fields, subsea gas-gathering infrastructure, and a liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant on Barrow Island. If it proceeds on schedule, it will become Australia’s third LNG export development.

Location

‘Greater Gorgon’ refers to a grouping of several gas fields. The Gorgon field is centered about 130 kilometres off the north-west coast of Western Australia, where the water depth is approximately 200 metres. Barrow Island lies off the Pilbara coast, 85 kilometres north-north-east of Onslow and 140 kilometres west of Karratha.

Benefits to Australians

Economic modelling carried out in 2008 as part of the environmental impact assessment process, forecast the following macroeconomic impacts (based on a 30-year period):

• 6000 jobs in Western Australia at the peak of the construction phase
• More than 3500 direct and indirect jobs sustaining throughout the life of the project
• An increase in national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of A$64.3 billion (in net present value terms)
• A$33 billion of expenditure on locally purchased goods and services
• Additional government revenue of about A$40 billion